A hack that might seem simple has completely changed my coffee-drinking habits: coffee ice cubes. If you’re an iced coffee lover like me, you probably agree that there’s something about the chilled drink that gets you through the day, no matter what the weather.
I’m one who saves tea for hot beverage consumption. There’s nothing like sipping a large, iced vanilla latte with oat milk on my commute to work. The caffeine helps me start my morning on a high note and gives me the energy I need to conquer the day.
Why use coffee ice cubes
First off, coffee ice cubes are the simplest thing you can make. It only requires one ingredient (spoiler alert: It’s coffee), and the quick process won’t put your nightly or morning routine behind schedule. All you need is an ice tray and enough coffee or cold brew stored in the fridge.
The benefits of coffee ice cubes, you might be wondering? They prevent that gross, watered-down taste that everyone hates. No matter how long it takes you to finish a cup, the strong, caffeinated flavor will remain from morning until night.
Gone are the days when you’re determined to chug your coffee to avoid a diluted, tasteless mess. Rather than spending $7.50 on a Venti Iced Vanilla Latte with Oat Milk at Starbucks, this coffee cube hack has saved me both time and money.
How to make single-ingredient coffee cubes
All you need to do is pour coffee or cold brew into an ice tray, place it in the freezer, and let it freeze overnight. In the morning, grab a cup, plop in one to two cubes, add some coffee and your choice of milk or creamer, and you’re ready to head out the door.
I personally like the large ice cube trays, like these Glacio Ice Cube Trays from Amazon designed for cocktails. The larger the cubes, the fewer I need in my coffee. But you can also go for small cubes, like the Glacio Small Ice Cube Trays, or mini ones using the Upgrade Silicone Mini Ice Cube Trays. You might even opt for round ice cubes of any size, such as the ICEXXP Whiskey Ice Ball Maker. The world is your oyster here!
I’m not a big fan of cold brew — the taste is a bit too strong for me — so my go-to is the 48-ounce Starbucks Unsweetened Dark Roast Iced Coffee. I keep about four of them in my fridge at all times because I go through them quite quickly.
To top off my dreamy iced coffee masterpiece, I add a touch of Califia Farms Extra Creamy Oat Milk for some flavor. This simple recipe gives me the caffeine boost I need to start my day, only takes about three minutes to make, and results in the perfect taste that lasts all day. What more could you ask for?
